Fudgy Rosemary and Fig Oatmeal

This oatmeal is a close relative of my Salted Rosemary Brownie Batter Oatmeal, but I swapped the dates for dried figs. While dates are great for giving a relatively neutral sweetness, figs add another layer of flavor (in addition to sweetening the porridge)! I love figs and rosemary together, and rosemary and chocolate together, so the three of them all at once is a dream come true. ?

What you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup milk of choice*
• 2-3 chopped dried figs
• 1/4 cup quick cook steel cut oats*
• 1/3 cup grated yellow squash or zucchini (peeling optional)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 rounded tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
• pinch of salt
• more figs, for topping (optional)

How to make it:

1. Bring liquid and figs to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to a simmer. (If you’d like to add a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds, do so now.)
2. Add grated zucchini/squash. Stir occasionally.
3. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add vanilla extract, cocoa powder, rosemary, and salt. (If oatmeal is not sweet enough for you, add maple syrup or another sweetener at this time, to taste.) Stir.
4. When you’re pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl.
5. Top with another splash of milk, and any other additional ingredients (I topped with Earth Balance Coconut-Peanut Butter and more figs).

Just an FYI:

*You can make this with rolled or quick oats by increasing the liquid to 1 cup and the oats to 1/2 cup.

This recipe is adapted from my Salted Rosemary Brownie Batter Oatmeal.

I always say that basil is my favorite herb, but every day I’m closer to admitting that I like rosemary even more. Particularly in these colder months, the scent and taste of rosemary just make everything better. It’s the only herb that I can buy without a plan, knowing that I can easily incorporate it into almost anything.

For this recipe, I opted for dried, not fresh, figs. I think they are one of the few fruits in which I like the dried version more than fresh. While fresh figs have a fleshiness that is a little off-putting, dried figs are delightfully chewy, sweet, and flavorful. Since I did not have any fresh figs at the time that I wanted to make this, I went ahead and stuck with dried. In the end, I’m pleased with that choice.